Welcome to New York - 2014

 Dir - Abel Ferrara, 
 Cast - G Depardieu, J Bisset

Following the revelations in Gerard Depardieu's new autobiography that he was a nasty little shit during his teenage years, casting  the obese French star as a thinly disguised, but physically huge and morally grotesque French politician is a masterstroke.

Apparently based on Dominique Strauss Khan (aka DSK),the ageing bon viveur whose time in control of the IMF has set him fair for a run at the next Presedential election. Depardieu is well beyond caring how he may appear while engaging in prolonged panty, pervy sex with a succession of party girls, and surpasses all non-porno male performances in sexual staying power and never ending depravity in the opening 20 mins of this excellent movie. With the exception, perhaps, of Michael Fassbinder in the last 20 mins of Steve Mcqueen's Shame, he lets it all hang out like no other.

Having started his visit to a New York hotel suite with a lengthy and violent looking bj from a blonde, he carries on with a visit from two more hookers for another sex session, the other party people having long gone,  doubtless exhausted.
Depardieu is utterly believable in the role of a sex addict who happens to be a grande fromage in gay Paris.When he drops his trousers ready to be pleasured in the opening scene, his huge gut takes up so much of the shot, only widescreen will suffice  for us to see the rest of what goes on in the room.

The fateful lunge on the unsuspecting chamber maid in scene 3 is another masterclass in unselfconsciousness, while attempting yet another depraved, violent, unpleasant sexual act. Having been arrested and remanded and then ultimately bailed to live in NYC while awaiting trial, he is quite remorseless as he discusses another vulgar embarrassment with his wife - Jacqueline Bisset still looking elegant and sophisticated - who has bailed him out yet again.

He seems quite baffled. What is all the fuss about? He only made her touch his penis with her mouth. He didn't have sex with her or anything like that. "What is wrong with these....people" he spits with as much venom and contempt as is fitting.  And so it goes on, the conversation between them is accompanied by Gerard's increasingly desperate attempts to conjure forgiveness from his bitter wife, who is ever more repulsed by what her husband has become. Theses exchanges are a real treat, Bisset giving another clever acting class as a beautiful, intelligent , wealthy woman who apparently has it all but is trapped by her fame and humbling circumstances. She has to stick by her man by whom she can not bear to be touched, because the alternative - the public shame and indefensible position a "guilty" plea would leave them in, is even worse.

This is a monster protagonist drawn from the real world, not the pages of Robert Harris or JRR Tolkein, Mary Shelley or the Brothers Grimm. Abel Ferrara is perhaps best known for low budget shock horrors like Driller Killer. But the more recent The Addiction and The Funeral from the 90s, as well as the infamous Bad Lieutenant featuring another out-there performance from Harvey Keitel, demonstrated he had class. This tour de force proves it beyond doubt. Lets hope the court case he will no doubt have to fight when DSK sues for libel does not put an end to the career of a talent that is ready for the big time proper. I just doubt that his next release - Pasolini - will be the one to put him there.
P Budgie - for Treedown Gotobed - 06-09-14